Maui Pics - Large Files

[saltyunderground]

Just got back from Maui.

Pod of 200 Spinner dolphins

Purple Monti

Trigger

Needle fish

Pink Cats paw

Moorish idol

 

[Capt_Cully]

Beautiful. I was there last month. Camera on the fritz. Glad to see your post. Photos never can do it justice.

Where did you stay?
What areas did you dive/snorkle?

 

[saltyunderground]

Leopard blennies doing their mating dance

Zoas

Flounder

Zoas

Eel

Crown of Thornes Star

Grouper and Cleaner wrasses

 

[saltyunderground]

Zoas

Convict Tangs

Blue Sponge

Bird wrasse

Arc Eye Hawk

Achilles Tang

Zoas

Threadfin Butterfly

 

[saltyunderground]

We stayed in Kihei and Napili. We snorkeled around Napili, Kihei, Wailea, Makena and Lanai.

 

[latazyo]

the flounder pic is way clutch

 

[Ron Leversee]

Nice....Very nice!!! Great shots!!! I realy enjoy the islands!!!

 

[Capt_Cully]

we were in kaanapali. snorkled molokini, lanai, and black rock.

going back in april 08. staying in wailea. gonna do the same areas as in your pics.

awesome additional photos. I gotta get a case for my camera.

Thanks

 

[Kmiec123]

I'm staying at Kaanapali in Oct. any dive shop recommendations?
Very nice pics BTW.

 

[saltyunderground]

I highly recommend Snorkel Maui, 800-635-1273. There are three Marine Biologists who work out of there, Evelyn, Sue and Ann. Ask for Ann or Evelyn when you call (Sue was off the island when we were there so I did not talk with her). They offer private and group snorkel and dive trips. Evelyn took us to a snorkel spot that is closed to commercial use. It included a 45 minute walk through a lava field to get to it. There is not way we could have ever found this pool without her as a guide. It was by far the best spot we snorkeled on the entire trip. Plus she could share so much more about what we were seeing since she is a marine biologist. If they can not offer what you want, then they can send you in the right direction.

If you want their direct phone numbers, let me know and I'll PM them to you.

 

[spooda420]

very stunning pics... hopefully you did something with that crown of thorns star

take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints...

 

[spooda420]

very stunning pics... hopefully you did something with that crown of thorns star

take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints...

 

[saltyunderground]

There are some invasive species issues there right now, including the crown of thornes that is eating coral at a fast rate. Also, the grouper in the picture with the cleaner wrasses is not native. It is eating other fish and the populations are growing very fast.

A more alarming problem to us in Hawaii is the almost complete lack of controls over collection rates for saltwater creatures. We were told that it is estimated about 300,000 yellow tangs are colected out of Hawaii every year. It is impacting the juvinile populations around all of the islands.

We were told that the state government has only 6 marine wildlife officials to monitor all of the islands. So basically anyone can pay a small fee for a collectors license (or not) and take anything they want out of the water. Their collection is self-reported.

Considering so much of the tourism in Hawaii is dependent upon the health and welfare of the ocean, it was very surprising to us to hear that they are seemingly doing very little to protect it.

 

[Kmiec123]

I read more yellow tangs are harvested from Hawaii than all of Australia in a year. I hope this changes.
Carl
Thanks for the dive shop[e tip, I'll give them a call...Where on the Island are the located?

 

[saltyunderground]

I never asked where their office is. We arranged everything over the phone.

I know Evelyn lives in North Kihei, and I got the feeling their office was around there somewhere.

Ann Fielding's website: http://www.maui.net/~annf/

Ann has written a book called An Underwater Guide to Hawaii and is very well known and respected on Maui.

They are very flexible and put together a trip for you that meets your needs. If they can't do it, they know everyone on the island. So they can send you in the right direction and provide very good advice.

 

[thor32766]

wow those achilles are unbelievable!!!

 

[Capt_Cully]

the achilles we saw were right up on a shelf near the rocks getting pummelled by surf. they were lovin it. it was hard for us to hang in the same area it was so turbulent. no wonder they're hard to keep in aquariums, tough to replicate that kind of flow.